LOCATION FALKIRK NDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Pachic Haplustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Falkirk loam - on a plane southeast-facing slope of 1 percent in cropland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. Where described, the soil was moist throughout.)
Ap--0 to 7 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky, and slightly plastic; many roots; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 15 inches thick)
Bw1--7 to 14 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist coats on faces of peds; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common fine roots; common fine pores; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary.
Bw2--14 to 23 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist coats on faces of peds; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common fine roots; many very fine pores; patches of clay films on vertical faces of peds; slightly alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined Bw horizons 5 to 22 inches thick)
BC--23 to 28 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common fine roots; common fine pores; slight effervescence in spots; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
2C1--28 to 34 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) gravelly loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few fine roots; few fine pores; approximately 30 percent gravel by volume; strong effervescence; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (1 to 14 inches thick)
3C2--34 to 42 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) clay loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure; hard, friable, sticky, and slightly plastic; few fine roots; few fine pores; about 3 percent pebbles; common masses of segregated carbonates; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline; diffuse boundary. (3 to 36 inches thick)
3C3--42 to 60 inches; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/3) clay loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) moist; massive; hard, firm, sticky, slightly plastic; few fine pores; about 3 percent pebbles; few masses of segregated carbonates; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: McLean County, North Dakota; about 7 1/2 miles north and 3 miles west of Washburn; 1,250 feet east and 40 feet south of northwest corner, sec. 11, T. 145 N., R. 82 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The depth to the 2C horizon and ranges from 16 to 40 inches. The mollic epipedon ranges from 16 inches to more than 30 inches in thickness and extends into the Bw horizon.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 3 to 5 and 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 2. It is loam or silt loam.
The Bw horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 or 5 and 2 to 4 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. It is loam averaging between 18 and 27 percent clay and more than 15 percent fine and coarser sand. It has weak or moderate prismatic structure parting to weak or moderate blocky structure.
The 2C horizon commonly is gravelly loam but in some pedons contains a few cobbles and stones or is sandy and less than 6 inches thick. It has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 or 6 and 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. The 3C horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 5Y, value of 5 to 7 and 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 2 to 4. It is loam or clay loam glacial till containing carbonates and 2 to 10 percent by volume of rock fragments. It has accumulations of carbonates in the upper part in some pedons.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Arnegard, Bowery, Garlips, Lonecone, Obrien, Roseglen, Shawa, Sheckle and Yeoman series. Arnegard and Garlips soils do not have gravelly loam 2C horizons or glacial till within depths of 40 inches. Roseglen soils are silt loam throughout, have formed in lacustrine sediments, and do not have glacial till within depths of 40 inches. Bowery, Shawa and Sheckle soils do not have carbonates within depths of 40 inches. In addition, Sheckle soils do not have cambic horizons. Lonecone and Yeoman soils are moderately deep to bedrock. Obrien soils do not have a discontinuity.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Falkirk soils are on level to moderately sloping uplands. Slope gradients are 1 to 3 percent but range from 0 to 9 percent. The soils formed in glaciofluvial sediments 20 to 40 inches thick overlying glacial till. The climate is semiarid. Mean annual air temperature ranges from 38 to 45 degrees F, and mean annual precipitation from 12 to 16 inches, most of which falls in the spring and summer.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Arnegard and Roseglen soils and the Bowbells, Bowdle, Flaxton, Max, Parshall and Williams soils. Arnegard soils are in nearby concave swales. Roseglen soils are on nearby lake plains. Bowbells soils are on nearby glacial till uplands. Bowbells and Flaxton soils have argillic horizons. Flaxton soils are on nearby sand-mantled till plains. Bowdle soils are on nearby outwash terraces. Bowdle soils have sand and gravel at depths of 20 to 40 inches. Parshall soils are on stream terraces and outwash where sandy deposits are over 40 inches thick. Parshall soils are coarse-loamy. Max and Williams soils are on nearby glacial till uplands. Both have mollic epipedons less than 16 inches in thickness.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Runoff is slow or medium. Permeability is moderate through the solum and is moderately slow in the till substratum.
USE AND VEGETATION: Soils mainly are cropped to small grains, flax, corn, hay, and pasture. Native vegetation was western wheatgrass, green needlegrass, bearded wheatgrass, prairie junegrass, needleandthread, and a variety of forbs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: West-central North Dakota, usually adjacent to glaciolacustrine and outwash areas. The soil is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: McLean County, North Dakota, 1974.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of 23 inches (Ap, Bw1, and Bw2 horizons).